Monthly Features
Rebuilding A Brand
Colt Senior VP of Commercial Sales Paul Spitale came to the storied manufacturer in 2015, the year they filed bankruptcy and were struggling with damage...
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Taking Control...
Like the Goodrich dealer, the firearms dealer also has an identity problem. The anti-gun politicians have been screaming “Guns are bad” for so long,...
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The Time Is Now...
Inside the July issue, we provided the annual state of the firearms industry update. One of the key takeaways was despite the slowdown in firearms...
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When You Buy A...
Every customer who purchases a gun has the potential to purchase gun-care and cleaning supplies and equipment. As the song says, they “go together like a...
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Understanding...
Over the past few years, Southwick Associates and NSSF have been learning more about the unique groups, or segments, that make up the U.S. firearms market.
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DIY Events:...
A special “Do It Yourself” (DIY) event is a wonderful tactic that delivers multiple dividends for any retail store.
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6 Tips To Grow...
Your digital presence, or lack thereof, matters now more than ever. Since the start of the coronavirus outbreak earlier this year, the internet is seeing a...
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U.S. Firearms...
In the early days of the pandemic, dealers reported robust activity from customers — wiping out entire in-store firearms inventories in many cases.
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Summer Fun
Full disclosure: This article was written in late March, just one week after the novel coronavirus was declared a global pandemic. If we all did our part...
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Raising The Bar...
The atrocity of September 11 galvanized our nation. It was a wake-up call to thousands of American citizens to finally pull their heads out of the sand and...
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Archery Trends...
The market for archery equipment, including gear used in competition, recreational shooting and bowhunting, has been holding its own in recent years with...
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Range Games
It’s safe to assume every one of your potential customers knows you sell guns. They also know you sell ammo and a wide range of accessories to go with them.
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Ammunition &...
Winds of change are blowing through the shooting sports industry. As everyone well knows, outside events can radically impact business....
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Women & the...
The NASCAR concept in advertising made its way into the firearms industry in the 1980s and ’90s. As a result, the shooting sports received unprecedented...
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6 Out-of-the-Box...
Whether offered monthly or weekly, ladies’ nights (or days) have become a commonplace offering at gun ranges throughout the country. So much so women have...
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Keep It Real
If reaching out to women is not an integral part of your marketing strategy, it should be.
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Welcoming Women...
There are an increasing number of women taking up self-defense, shooting sports and hunting — which adds sales for gun retailers.
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Are You Part Of...
Most people are familiar with the phrase used in the title of this article, which I thought ended with “or are you part of the problem?”
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Taking Control
We as an industry and community, have come a long way from the initial influx of female firearm owners over the past decade.
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Understanding...
There’s no doubt the profile of gun owners and shooting sports participants has changed over the years, and women have grown to represent an important...
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The DC Project...
For folks who make their living in the shooting industry, the efforts of the DC Project are especially important.
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The New...
A trip to the SHOT Show makes one thing very clear: We have many more women in the industry than we had 30 years ago. At the 1990 show, you could look...
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A Thank-You...
A woman walks into your shop. She’s a little unsure about where to begin and cruises the store a moment before approaching one of your sales staff. “I...
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Shot Show 2020...
For the first time in several years, SHOT Show 2020 was held in a period not marked by either fear-induced buying or widespread sluggish sales — replaced,...
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SHOT Show...
Just as it is every year, SHOT Show 2020 was busy and crowded. With only mild jitters about the impending impeachment hearings in the air, retailers were...
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Decisions, Decisions
Another SHOT show is in the books. Now comes the daunting task of figuring out what to make of all the new firearms and accessories announced during (or...
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Satisfying The...
Long-range shooting, whether for fun, competition or hunting has been on a steady upswing in recent years. How are retailers going the distance when it...
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Building Blocks
For most dealers, the concealable handgun represents one of the pillars upon which a business can be built. Manufacturers are constantly churning out new...
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Knife Profits
It’s a dilemma every retailer faces, especially when SHOT Show rolls around and hot new products are tempting their buying taste buds at every turn.
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Success Depends...
A good point-of-sale (POS) system can serve as the backbone of a retail business. If implemented well, it will make your operation more efficient by...
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Cashing In On...
A few years ago a book called In Search Of Excellence burst onto the business scene spouting a message so simplistic as to be almost laughable.
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From the...
Editor’s Note: For businesses on a downward trend, Ernest W. Fair recommended first diagnosing the cause and taking relevant steps outlined in this...
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THE SILVER BULLET
Competing with the likes of Amazon and other online retailers, your store has to “get it right” while meeting the immediate needs of customers today.
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Distributing The...
Entering the 2020s, it doesn’t take a lot of detective work to notice the significant amount of change the two-step distribution model experienced over...
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Selling High-End...
The increasing popularity of long-range shooting has spurred more than sales of just firearms and ammunition. As shooters have reached for longer and longer...
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Turkey Time
Like many retail businesses, the holiday season is one of the busiest for gun retailers in part because it also coincides with big-game hunting season, and...
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